


Royal Wedding

by Gwynne



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: F/M, some things never change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-25
Updated: 2011-04-25
Packaged: 2017-10-18 15:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/190488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwynne/pseuds/Gwynne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm swept up in the frenzy of the Royal Wedding. But I much prefer THIS royal wedding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Royal Wedding

They’d warned her about Komarran terrorists. And isolationist fanatics. And assassination by assorted political splinter groups. Also Jacksonian crime gangs, galactic opportunists and Cetagandan invasions. Plus pressure from Komarran trade delegations, and her own family. And subtle manipulation by galactic ambassadors and traders. All manner of threats and schemes and people angling for special advantages, so many different kinds of danger, and she’d learned to cope with it all.

They’d never warned her about this.

Gregor was so deeply into his Chilly Emperor mode that he was almost frozen solid. Over the last few months Laisa had learned to interpret various levels of Imperial silence. Right now Gregor looked stern, dignified and calm. Only a very few of his nearest and dearest would recognise this as blind panic.

They sat side by side, a decorous distance apart, facing the interrogators. And facing all that mysterious equipment – lights glared into their eyes, unblinking vidcams recorded every tiny reaction and each careful word, all of it to be picked over later by countless experts.

Laisa just hoped she’d be able to cope. The Impsec briefing had boiled down to, “Keep smiling, sound happy, and for goodness sake don’t panic and babble.”

Gregor hadn’t said anything, he’d concentrated on not looking terrified. It took him several tries to let go of her hand before they entered this room.

One deep breath, and then it all began. The first interrogator greeted them both briefly, then turned to Laisa, as the obviously easiest, or safest, of the two.

“So, Dr Toscane, how did you two meet?”

An easy one to answer. “A Komarran friend brought me to a reception at the Residence…” Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all.

“So this friend, was he a romantic interest of yours at the time?”

“What? No – he was just a friend. We were in a group, with some others…”

“Others? Other Komarrans? So you were brought here by a Komarran group hoping to attract the Emperor?”

“Komarran – no, no the others were Barrayaran. It was Lord Vorkosigan’s party, he’d invited us to go with him…”

“Lord Vorkosigan, the new Auditor? So you’re in his party? The Progressives?”

“Prog- no, not political party, it was just a group of friends. I’m not – “

“And how long had you planned your meeting with the Emperor?”

“I didn’t plan anything, I was in the Komarran trade delegation here to discuss the new taxation scales. I mostly met with members of the Council, and the Ministers. I didn’t know if I’d have a chance of meeting the Emperor in person, I thought maybe I’d see him at some large ceremony…”

“So you didn’t plan on this? Surely as a member of a top Komarran family you would expect special treatment?”

“I was just a member of the delegation…”

“And I suppose your family expect special treatment now? Preferential trade status perhaps?”

“Of course not!”

This was worse than she’d been expecting. What happened to smile and sound happy – all she could do was try not to babble. The questions started coming from all over now. Each interrogator seemed to have their own special area of interest.

“Now, Dr Toscane… may I call you Laisa? Now, Laisa, tell me… when did you know you’d fallen in love?”

“Did you always want to be an Empress?”

“Are you at all concerned about the dangers?”

“Laisa, will you start wearing proper Barrayaran fashions now?”

“You say Lord Vorkosigan brought you two together – so was he tasked with finding a suitable bride for his foster-brother? Was that Auditor-ship his reward?”

“What was it that attracted you to the emperor?”

“Laisa, how did you feel when he proposed?”

“Will you be having children right away?”

“Were you having a relationship with Lord Vorkosigan?”

“What are your views on Komarran taxation? Will you be changing the policies after you marry?”

“Have you ever been betrothed before?”

“This Komarran friend of yours, Laisa, he’s in Impsec, isn’t he? So did Impsec bring you here for this?”

“Have you chosen names for the children yet? Will you have any say in that at all?”

“Laisa, will your wedding dress be Komarran or Barrayaran in style?”

“What are your views on the status of women on Barrayar?”

“Have you received any special training to be an empress?”

“How many children are you going to have?”

“How many boyfriends have you had, Laisa?”

“Will you be attending top-level security briefings after you get married? What will your security clearance be?”

“Will you be returning to Komarr?”

“Have you ever had any serious relationships?”

“Did the Emperor ask or order you to marry him – did you have a choice?”

“Laisa, have you invited all your ex-partners to the wedding?”

“Laisa, have you had any special training from Impsec?”

“Laisa, when you were at University you wrote a paper about Barrayaran taxation, do you now intend to change the policies towards Komarr?”

“Laisa, have Impsec fast-penta’d you?”

“Laisa….”

“Laisa….”

“Laisa….”

Gregor’s voice cut through them all, “Thank you all for coming here today. Dr Toscane and I are looking forward to the wedding at Midsummer. We thank everyone who has given us their best wishes. I am most fortunate to have found such a charming and pleasant companion. That will be all, ladies and gentlemen.”

The hovering armsmen whisked Laisa and Gregor out of the room before anyone dared speak.

Once safely back in the hallway Laisa turned to Gregor, “Just an easy little press conference? Is it always like that? And why didn’t they pick on you?”

Gregor grinned, relief at passing the ordeal making him temporarily giddy, “They don’t dare ask the Emperor those things.”

Laisa glared at him, “Then you can do the next one alone. That’ll shut them up.”

Gregor held her hand tightly as they walked briskly (not fled, emperors don’t flee from danger) away from the Press Briefing Room. “But you did fine. I thought maybe you’d like to take on this part of Our Imperial duties in future.”

Laisa told him what he could do with this part of his Imperial duties, succinctly and precisely. The armsmen did their best impressions of being deaf, stuffed and a long way away.

Six months to the wedding. It was going to be a very long six months.

The press conference was covered on all the Barrayaran vid-channels, each in their own way…

“Is our new Empress a Komarran plot?”

“Barrayaran fashions not good enough for the new Empress.”

“Wedding terror – empress fears that all of her ex-lovers will try to attend.”

“New Empress is supported by the Progressive Party”

“I don’t want children says the new Empress.”

“We’ve already picked out the names for our children says the new Empress.”

“Komarr expects better tax deals says the new Empress”

“Toscane family to be ignored after the wedding.”

Yes, a very long six months.


End file.
